Page 35 of Unwilling Vow (Mafia Marriages 4)

14

Olivia

Jace accompanies me back to the apartment to gather my belongings. There isn’t much that’s mine, just the clothes I’ve accumulated over the past couple of months. I grab my bag and toss my clothes inside, everything that I own.

Most of the items in the apartment aren’t mine. I didn’t decorate. There aren’t any pictures hanging, and I didn’t have the supplies to do any artwork of my own.

I zip up my bag and head to the kitchen. On the counter is my phone charger. I grab the cord, shoving it into the front zipper of the duffel bag.

“What about the food in the fridge?” I ask, pointing at the full refrigerator. I just went shopping last week.

Maybe it doesn’t matter to Jace, but I don’t want to waste perfectly good food.

“I’ll send Matteo to swing by, and he can clean out your fridge, clean up the place.”

That wasn’t quite what I meant, but if it’s not going to waste, then it’ll suffice.

I’m afraid to ask if he knows who exactly was watching the apartment, eavesdropping.

Was it Caruso or one of his men?

Jace has no idea the connection that I have with them.

They’re mafia.

Really bad guys.

They’d kill me if I spoke about them, and asking now, while we could be under surveillance, could get both of us hurt or worse.

I have to tread carefully. But undoubtedly, if it’s Luka Caruso or his men, they won’t stop just because I’ve moved. They’ll never stop hunting me down.

Another reason I have to follow through with having Jace’s child.

After he pays me, I can pay off my debt to Caruso. Will the money be enough, or will he own me forever? Men like Caruso don’t just go away. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t sign the deal with my blood.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Jace says, leading me to the front door. He holds out his hand, taking my duffel bag from me.

“I can carry that,” I say. The bag isn’t that heavy. It barely weighs anything. His briefcase for work is probably heavier.

Jace gives a slight shrug. “Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.” He opens the door and gestures for me to step out of the apartment.

I lock up the place behind me and hand over the keys. He owns the site. He might as well take back the keys. Besides, if Matteo plans to clean out and empty the fridge, he’ll need to gain entrance inside the apartment.

I shuffle down the hallway, glancing at the door beside my apartment.

Is that where the snoop had taken up residence?

I’m afraid to voice my questions aloud.

“Come on,” he says again and grabs my elbow, leading me toward the elevator in haste.

It’s like he’s hiding something, ushering me out of here quickly.

Why? What don’t I know? What isn’t he telling me?

The moment the elevator doors shut, I fold my arms across my chest. “What’s going on, Jace?”

He holds up a hand, indicating to give him a moment.

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